by Sarah Larson, Board President, and Ashwini Rao, Board Vice President
Willy Street Co-op’s work and purpose both aim towards our ends policy. Ends are where we state our desired outcomes of our work.
Our current Ends policy is:
Willy Street Grocery Co-op will be at the forefront of a cooperative and just society that:
- has a robust local economy built around equitable relationships;
- nourishes and enriches our community and environment; and
- has a culture of respect, generosity, and authenticity.
Willy Street Co-op management and staff engage in various activities that bring the Co-op closer to meeting the Ends policies. These are reported on annually. Some of these activities include:
- Supporting and growing our network of local vendors.
- Supporting brands and companies that have demonstrated a commitment to equitable business practices.
- Treating our employees equitably, and providing employees with the financial means to contribute to building our local economy.
- Treating Owners in an equitable fashion, as dictated by our cooperative business model.
- Ensuring community members have equitable access to nutritious food.
- Creating an accessible and vibrant food culture within the community by promoting access to local foods, food security, and collaboration among businesses in the community.
- We successfully negotiated and reached an agreement regarding our third contract with the union. The new three-year contract is effective from March 16, 2024 to April 30, 2027. This new contract offers additional benefits and wages for our hourly employees while being mindful of our fiscal responsibility for our Owners and the Co-op’s long-term success. The new contract increases the minimum starting pay to $18.15 per hour and raises the overall wages of hourly employees by 21% over the three-year term of the contract. It also offers seniority increases for years of service, an additional paid holiday, more flexibility in access to unpaid time off, and additional bereavement leave.
- We hosted the grand opening of Aubergine, our new community event space. Since the grand opening, we have received several inquiries about private rentals, not only for Aubergine, but combined events with Cafe Coda.
Ends will be reported on at the September Board meeting. All of our Owners are welcome! You can find Board meeting dates, times, and other information at willystreet.coop/events.
Throughout the next year we will be working to incorporate our strategic plan priorities into/within our Ends. It’s pretty amazing to reflect on the impact your grocery cooperative has!